Spring Fling: Where Cate and Thacher Unite

By: Jasper Shelmerdine '26 and Carmen Lack '26

On Saturday, April 12, 2025, the campus buzzed with excitement as Cate School hosted the highly anticipated annual Spring Fling. With students from rival schools – Cate and Thacher – coming together for a day of fun, food, and dancing, it was the perfect celebration of spring and spirit.

The day kicked off with a lively carnival held outside of the dining hall, offering a plethora of activities, ranging from a bean bag toss to an obstacle course. Cate faculty, including Mr. Person and Mrs. Hansen, even participated in a dunk tank. Booths run by the student government offered snow cones, popcorn, ice cream, and cotton candy to keep all the students sated until dinner. Laughter infiltrated the Mesa as people mingled with old and new friends. “It’s always great to have Thacher come visit,” said Lauren Hubbs ‘26. “It gives us a chance to meet new people and share our campus traditions.”

As the sun began to set, everyone gathered in the dining hall for a delicious dinner consisting of cornbread, chicken tenders, Caesar salad, and watermelon prepared by the hardworking dining crew. The long table setup allowed the two schools to eat face-to-face, leading to unexpected connections. Marcelo ‘27 noted, “I was able to talk to people that I have never met before.”

Following dinner, both schools piled into Sprague Gym to support their undefeated dodgeball teams in an ultimate test to determine the reigning champion. Of course, the Cate Rams went all out and dominated the visiting school. Blue Crew led the student section with cheers, and one student dressed in Cate’s ram mascot suit – Flora Adair ‘26 – remarks, “I was so proud of our school, and I loved watching dodgeball from the ram’s perspective.” Overall, it was a great game with minimal injuries.

But the night didn’t end there.

Flashing colors lit up the old gym as students showed up decked out in neon and glow sticks for the real magic: the Glow Dance. The DJs, Wade Ransom, Miles Williams ‘27, and Jacob Gabbay ‘25, towered over the smoke-filled gym, keeping the energy up with a mix of pop hits and throwback favorites, with the strobe lights beaming across the dance floor that stayed packed all night. 

Spring Fling 2025 will go down in Cate’s history as a success, and as Sofi Ridgway ‘26 remarks, “It was such a great time. I loved meeting people from Thacher and participating in all the school activities!”